Jessie Diggins draws strength (and haters) from ESPN Body Issue

That’s one thing the 2018 Winter Olympic gold medalist needs to make abundantly clear after posing in the ESPN Body Issue for a tastefully nude unfold of pictures printed this week.

“There’s always going to be haters that tell us what we can and can’t do with our bodies, and it’s not up to them,” the 26-year-old Nordic ski star stated in a phone interview with the Pioneer Press. “Everyone has their own reason for being part of it. I decided to do it because, for me, it was a full-circle moment of being proud of my body. It was the celebration of that more than anything else.”

That wasn’t was all the time the case for Diggins, one thing she opened up about in a very personal blog post printed on the day the ESPN Body Issue got here out. She wrote about her struggles rising up with physique picture points, revealing she suffered from an consuming dysfunction after graduating from Stillwater High School, finally looking for assist at The Emily Program on her street to restoration.

Because of that, Diggins admitted there was a flood of feelings when initially approached about posing for ESPN. She wasn’t positive the right way to really feel about it, and maybe extra urgent, wasn’t positive how she would really feel about it if she determined to do it.

“I was extremely apprehensive at first,” she stated. “This is something I never thought I’d do and I guess part of me was nervous that doing it would bring some of those insecurities back up.”

Ultimately, Diggins determined posing was an opportunity to encourage others who may be battling related physique picture points.

“I feel like everyone in the world has at some point felt insecure about how they look,” she stated. “It’s a universal thing, so it’s important not to feel this negative stigma about it. I feel like we need to start celebrating what our bodies can do rather than feeling a certain way about how our bodies look.”

Researching the ESPN Body Issue earlier than making her choice, Diggins additionally seen a distinguishable pattern with how male athletes who’ve posed are seen in comparison with feminine athletes. More typically than not, she surmised, a male athlete was lauded for his participation, whereas a feminine athlete was criticized.

“It’s such a crazy double standard that suddenly we aren’t a role model when we want to be proud of our bodies,” she stated. “That was another thing that made me be, like, ‘Yeah. I really want to do this.’ We aren’t going to solve body image issues by not talking about it, so I’m hoping this actually opens up the conversation.”

Diggins was anxious going into the photograph shoot, although working with an all-female help employees helped her really feel extra comfy.

“I had one request,” she stated. “I didn’t need the photographs to be attractive; I wished the photographs to be unhealthy ass. They needed to be highly effective and present the enjoyment of the game.

“It ended up being incredibly empowering. I felt strong and confident, and I was able to embrace my muscles. I’m really glad I did it.”

Diggins stated the suggestions has been overwhelmingly constructive. She additionally has had many individuals attain out on social media relating to her weblog submit that coincided with the ESPN Body Issue.

“I went into this thinking maybe I’d help one person,” Diggins stated. “Just to see the amount of people reaching out has been awesome. That’s exactly the reason I decided to something like this.”

To be anticipated, there was some destructive response on social media, too, one thing Diggins dismisses at this level.

“I feel like this experience has made me even stronger being able to say, ‘I don’t care what those type of people think about me,’ ” she stated. “There are always going to be people that find something to hate on. All the people that I’m closest with have supported me throughout this process. That’s the only thing that matters to me. I don’t need to worry what some random 40-year-old man sitting in his basement is posting on my Instagram. It really doesn’t matter.”

After some offseason time at house, Diggins is again in Stratton, Vt., coaching for subsequent season. It’s a welcomed change after six months of chaos following the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

“I feel like that Olympic fever is finally starting to die down,” Diggins stated with a sigh of aid. “It’s been a good kind of exhausting. That said, I’m glad everything is kind of getting back to normal.”